Vietnamese Ambassador Hoang Sy Cuong (R) presents President Vo Van Thuong’s credentials to President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam-South Africa relationship enters new development period

President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa has noted with pleasure developments of the Vietnam-South Africa relationship, which is entering a new period as the two countries are celebrating the 30th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties (1993-2023).

At a reception for Vietnamese Ambassador Hoang Sy Cuong, who came to present President Vo Van Thuong’s credentials, in Pretoria on October 3, Ramaphosa asked the diplomat to convey his regards to President Thuong and other leaders of Vietnam, cited VOV.

For his part, Cuong conveyed regards from Vietnamese Party and State leaders to President Ramaphosa and expressed his wish to receive support from the President and government of South Africa during his tenure, pledging to contribute to strengthening the traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries, with a focus on economic, trade and investment ties.

Vietnam and South Africa are celebrating the 30th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties with diverse activities in different channels, notably the visit to South Africa by Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan on September 13-16, 2023.

Vietnamese police officers honored by UNMISS

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on October 4 presented UN peacekeeping orders to three officers from the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security who are participating in the UN peacekeeping mission in the African country.

The honoured officers are Colonel Le Quoc Huy, Senior Lieutenant Colonel Vu Viet Hung and Lieutenant Colonel Luong Thi Tra Vinh, who have shown outstanding performance in UN peacekeeping operations.

Addressing the event, UN Police Chief of Staff for UNMISS Murat Isik acknowledged and highly evaluated the contributions the Vietnamese police officers have made to activities of the mission, affirming that they have always shown professionalism, good discipline, high efficiency and high sense of responsibility, according to VNA.

UN Police Chief of Staff for UNMISS Murat IsikUN Police Chief of Staff for UNMISS Murat Isik (L) presents the UN peacekeeping order to Colonel Le Quoc Huy (Photo: VNA)

He proposed the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security send more officers to UNMISS in the coming time.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Egypt and South Sudan Nguyen Huy Dung recognized the outstanding performance of the three peacekeepers who are the first officers sent by the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security to UNMISS. Along with performing their international mission, they have acted as “cultural ambassadors” to promote the culture and image of the people and a peace-loving, humane and responsible Vietnam to international friends, he said.

The diplomat said he hoped the officers will continue to work hard and overcome difficulties to complete their tasks.

The Ministry of Public Security’s working group was deployed to UNMISS in October 2022.

On August 12, 2023, President Vo Van Thuong signed a decision to send three other police officers to perform UN peacekeeping mission at UNMISS. So far, Vietnam has deployed seven police officers to UN peacekeeping operations, including six to UNMISS and one to the UN headquarters.

WHO leader hails Vietnamese medical achievements

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), applauded the various achievements of the Vietnamese health sector in his congratulatory video sent to the sector on October 5.

Ghebreyesus said he is very proud to have witnessed the changes in medicine and health care in the country over the past decades. In line with this, since 1945 the nation’s life expectancy has increased by many years, with significant reductions made in preventable diseases, including the eradication of polio, as well as great strides in tackling diseases like malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis.

The nation has also expanded its health insurance system, thereby helping it to gain achievements in health care for its people, he said, adding that progress has also been made in dealing with risk factors for non-communicable diseases such as reducing the smoking rate, reported VOV.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Recently, the country has also shown its capacity to respond strongly to the COVID-19 pandemic, including carrying out vaccinations both comprehensively and quickly, whilst always targeting the most vulnerable groups.

WHO is therefore proud to be a trusted partner of the Vietnamese Government and people, pledging to maintain strong co-ordination and support for the country on its journey to bring a healthier, safer, and more prosperous life to all Vietnamese people, the WHO leader said.

Prospects for economic and trade cooperation between Vietnam and Iran

This year, Vietnam and Iran celebrate their 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties. Over the past years, the two countries have made efforts to promote bilateral trade cooperation, however, Vietnam-Iran trade turnover still stands at just over US$100 million, a very small figure compared to the consumption potential of the Iranian market for many products of Vietnam’s strengths.

Talking to Nhan Dan Newspaper reporters, Iranian Ambassador to Vietnam Ali Akbar Nazari expressed his confidence in the prospects for economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. He also made optimistic assessments of Vietnam's potential to export Halal products to the Iranian market, in addition to traditional export products.

According to Ambassador Nazari, based on the good traditional friendship, Vietnam and Iran have been cooperating in many fields in both a bilateral and multilateral manner and at regional and international scales. However, bilateral cooperation in the economic and trade areas is still not commensurate with the political aspect. The potential for economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries is still very large, the economies of Iran and Vietnam can complement each other. As a country with high economic growth, Vietnam is in great need of energy and petrochemical products, while Iran is one of the major exporters of oil and petrochemical products at competitive prices, which can create opportunities for further cooperation between the two countries. In the agricultural sector, Vietnam can provide coffee, tea, and spices to the Iranian market, and Iran can also export agricultural products such as apple, kiwi, and cherry to the Vietnamese market.

In addition to traditional export products, Ambassador Nazari said Vietnam's Halal products also have great potential for export to the Iranian market. Especially, within the framework of the official visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran by National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue last August, leaders of the Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality (Ministry of Science and Technology) of Vietnam and the Iran National Standards Organization signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on standardization, conformity assessment, accreditation, metrology, and Halal. This document facilitates the export of Halal food from Vietnam to Iran.

Assessing the potential, diversity and quality of Vietnam's Halal products, Iranian Ambassador Ali Akbar Nazari made important comments and gave suggestions to promote the export of Halal products. He noted that with a population of more than 80 million people, the Islamic Republic of Iran is becoming an attractive destination and a promising market for businesses in the field of Halal products around the world, including from Vietnam. With the diversity and abundance of agricultural and aquatic products, Vietnam can export more Halal products to Iran which has a strategic location in the Middle East and an attractive market for business and trade, cited NDO.

Chairman of National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue delivers a speech highlighting the relations between the two countries at the Institute for Political and International Studies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran.

Businesses exporting Halal products to the Iranian market need to meet the standards and requirements of the host country. The removal of barriers and creation of favourable conditions for Vietnamese businesses to export Halal products to the Iranian market requires a combination of strategic approach, cooperation, and compliance with regulations. Developing a strategic approach and full information, along with building relationships and adapting to local preferences, will improve the chances of success in accessing Iran's Halal market. According to the Ambassador, businesses and exporters of Vietnamese Halal products to the Iranian market can easily access procedures and standards of Halal products based on the rules, regulations, and standards of this product in Iran.

The signing of the MoU signifies a common commitment between Vietnam and Iran in trade cooperation, including Halal food. It demonstrates a willingness to streamline processes and facilitate market access. The cooperation in standardisation and assessment of conformity can lead to conformity with international Halal standards. This is very important to ensure that Vietnam's Halal products meet Iran's strict requirements and are accepted by Iranian consumers.

According to the Ambassador, based on this document, several important factors can be proposed to promote cooperation between the two countries. Firstly, the regular communication and dialogue between relevant agencies is necessary to ensure that the provisions of the MoU are effectively implemented. Secondly, the two sides need to organize technical seminars and training courses to improve capacity and facilitate knowledge exchange between experts from the two countries. Thirdly, trade delegations, exhibitions, and business forums will be held to highlight Halal products and promote connections between Vietnamese manufacturers and Iranian importers. Notably, the Iran Chamber of Commerce has an active research department in the field of Halal and the Embassy has carried out the necessary coordination with this agency to connect with Vietnam through the Institute for Africa and Middle East Studies under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.

Vietnam and Iran have significant potential to promote Halal food exports from Vietnam in Iran. By focusing on education, technical assistance, information sharing, and cooperative initiatives, both countries can pave the way for successful and sustainable cooperation in the field of Halal. The cooperation not only brings commercial benefits but also contributes to strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.

Vietnam launches all-out effort in preparation for anti-IUU fishing inspection

After nearly six years of carrying out anti-IUU fishing measures in a bid to get the EC’s "yellow card" warning removed and undergoing three inspections by the EC team, many positive results have been recorded.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang on October 4 signed a PM dispatch on implementing urgent and essential tasks and measures to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and prepare for the fourth inspection trip by the European Commission (EC) team.

The document states that after nearly six years of carrying out anti-IUU fishing measures in a bid to get the EC’s "yellow card" warning removed and undergoing three inspections by the team, many positive results have been recorded.

Between now and the fourth inspection period, the Prime Minister requests a series of key tasks be underway.

Relevant ministries, departments, and local authorities are tasked with ensuring resources and funds to urgently fix existing shortcomings and limitations. They are also instructed to prepare the necessary conditions to work with the EC inspection team.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) will continue to organize inspection teams to supervise and guide localities to implement related prevention tasks. It is also necessary for the body to actively cooperate with and assist localities in working with the EC delegation to achieve the best results, cited VNS.

After nearly six years of carrying out anti-IUU fishing measures in a bid to get the EC’s "yellow card" warning removed and undergoing three inspections by the team, many positive developments have been recorded in Vietnam. Photo: VNA

The Ministry of National Defense is directed to take strong measures to prevent Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen from engaging in illegal fishing activities in foreign waters. Border patrol forces must closely coordinate with relevant agencies and port authorities at seaports designated to conduct the Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA) serving the preparation of content and working options for the inspection.

The Ministry of Public Security is assigned to ensure the safety and security before, during, and after the team's visit to Vietnam, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is asked to collaborate with the MARD in welcoming, hosting, and working with the EC delegates.

The Ministry of Finance is tasked with directing the General Department of Customs’ cooperation with the MARD, Ministry of Transport, and other related authorities in exchanging information and providing related documents involving Vietnam’s compliance with the PSMA provisions and control of aquatic raw materials imported by container ships.

The Ministry of Transport is ordered to instruct seaports to coordinate with competent agencies in preparing papers on the control of foreign vessels carrying harvested seafood in accordance with Vietnamese law and the PSMA. The Ministry of Information and Communications is in charge of instructing the dissemination of relevant information.

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